Live-tweets of double mastectomy put breast health into social ether

Updated 10:41 pm, Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Photo: Methodist Health Care / Courtesy Photo

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Melissa Ray, whose mother died of breast cancer, researched her options after learning she had a breast cancer gene. She opted for a double mastectomy, which she underwent Wednesday with her surgeons, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo (right) and Dr. Steven Pisano. less

Melissa Ray, whose mother died of breast cancer, researched her options after learning she had a breast cancer gene. She opted for a double mastectomy, which she underwent Wednesday with her surgeons, Dr. Minas ... more

Photo: Methodist Health Care / Courtesy Photo

Live-tweets of double mastectomy put breast health into social ether

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Twitter users following a double mastectomy at a San Antonio hospital Wednesday learned that surgeons sometimes rock in the operating room. They also were exposed to more serious information about preventative and reconstructive surgery.

Methodist Healthcare System live-tweeted the surgery in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For much of the morning, people could follow the prophylactic mastectomy — similar to the surgery Angelina Jolie opted for earlier this year — by searching for the hashtag #BRCAdiep on Twitter or following @SAhealth210.

An example of the day's voluminous tweets: “We're listening to Muse on Pandora today in the OR. One of the physicians favorites!”

The surgery and the breast reconstruction that followed were performed by Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo and Dr. Steven Pisano from the specialist group PRMA.

The patient was 39-year-old Melissa Ray of Arizona, who had tested positive for a breast cancer gene.

Ray opted for a double mastectomy “because her risk is very high and her mother died of breast cancer,” said JoAnn King, Methodist's director of public relations.

She has two small children, which figured into her decision.

The mastectomy was completed just after noon, and the reconstruction was over by 5 p.m.

“She's in good condition,” King said.

After the mastectomy, Ray underwent a DIEP flap, meaning surgeons reconstructed her breasts using abdominal skin and fat that is obtained without cutting through abdominal muscles. This procedure, using a woman's own tissue, is in lieu of getting breast implants, King said.

During a break in the reconstructive phase, Chrysopoulo said Ray researched her options and decided to “take the bull by the horns” and undergo the preventative procedure. “The surgery decreases the possibility of her getting cancer by 97 percent plus,” he said.

Others who test positive for a breast cancer gene may choose other methods, he said, including closely monitoring the situation or taking the drug Tamoxifen. “But neither of those decrease the risk like prophylactic surgery does,” he added.

Chrysopoulo applauded Ray for allowing her surgery to be live-tweeted.

“It was very brave of her,” he said, “and can prove helpful to other women who are trying to make a decision.”

Methodist decided to tweet the event “to raise awareness about availability of testing for the breast cancer gene and to educate women about their options,” King said. “Melissa also wanted to help get the word out about options available to women who are at very high risk or had the breast cancer gene. Also, many women are unaware that breast reconstructive surgery is immediately available after having the mastectomy.”

The live tweeting ran from about 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. KSAT-TV also sent a photographer to Methodist to capture the surgery for Wednesday's 4 p.m. news.

“We had messages retweeted several times,” King said. “We have a total of nearly 2,800 followers and picked up a dozen or so new ones as a result of the live tweet.”